they make two different sensors to. depending on the egine and model year.
when i changed mine i had to pull the top half of the plenum off, makes it alittle easier to get to. you have to have the syncronizing tool on some.

ford ranger

 

Have same problem on my 02 Ranger 3.0V6! Why do these wear out?Is the bearing permenantly lubed?Poor engineering?Anyway I gotta do the whole assembly change soon! My light ain't on yet ,but it's "chirping",like a sparrow! My borther gave me the info from his mechanics' stuff.It says replace oil pump shaft too? Waasssup Wit Dat? Tanks

 

the check engine light will come on. the way you'll know is to scan it.
the only other thing that would make a chirping noise is the belt, due to a weak tensioner. cam sensors usually don't make any noise that i know of. and it doesn't have bearings in it,it has bushings in it that do wear out.

jack

 

97 mountaineer 5.0
just tried to change mine. it did not just pull out, I had to break it free with a big wrench. I bought the "new" china made part from NAPA ...it did not fit, the hex drive for the oil pump is a different size. I sprayed the old one down with brake parts cleaner until it stopped chirping then gave it a coat of silicone and put it back in.I'll return the napa part tomorrow and see what they say, I may just wait until it starts chirping again before I change it .

one more thing I couldn't find any timing marks on my balancer,nor a pointer.there was writing however "BTDC" that was all I could read the rest was obscured buy the water pump pulley, but according to the little tool that came with the part I was there.
__________________

 

hey haz,
btdc is 0 degrees that means the #1 is at top dead center which means that the #1 piston is all the way up to the top. you have to understand the ecm controlls the timing.

jack

 

yeah but there was no pointer and no marks to help make sure of that, as I understand it these trucks do not have the ability to alter their timing, no knock sensor,so I imagine that it is critical that this sensor be positioned properly.

 

haz,
does that 5.0 have a distributor yet? i didn't think they did. my ranger don't! anyway there is a tool for that to get it in position. if you have the one i'm thinking of. some have 2 different style maybe 3 styles i'm not exactly sure. i put 1 in my ranger here a few years back. it was a pain in butt. got to autozone.com and look at the repair manuals part. they should have some info on that.

jack

 

no distributor,tool came with the part, so it went back to napa, that's how I was able to change it. napa is ordering two more for me, they will be in friday. One is 132mm the other is 123mm both calim to fit 96-98 explorer/mountaineer w/5.0

 

was just wondering if any one could tell me how i can get my 97 ford taurus to top dead center i am trying to replace the Camshaft Synchronizer and dont have the tool but have been told if i can get it to top dead center i should not have any problems...
thanks for any info

 

sure can find your #1 plug wire and follow it down to the plug. disconnect the plug wire from the plug, and take the plug out of the head. get a flash lite and look in the spark plug hole and see if you can see the piston, if you can't roll the engine over by hand and take a screw driver and stick it in the hole and if it don't go very far in the piston is up top. donnot leave the screw driver in the hole while you turn the engine over
by hand and recheck. there should be a pointer on the crank shaft to determine zero..
any questions just ask...

 

Mine stopped "chirping" recently! I got the part already.My bro said it ptobably wore out the bushing or wore on a different side? I scanned it with my Actron,"passed". Nothing shows yet,but waitin! Thinkin about that previous posts about gettin to the HCrank pulley.Not much room for a "Non-contortionist"? I do have a remote starter switch.The Haynes manual says tpo "Bump Start it" ,until the TDC markings? ,show?Will look again Thanks

 

i just roll it over by hand. with a socket and a ratchet, go thru the wheel well.
if you have to turn the wheels to the right.
if a cam sensor fails it will set a code!

 

Thanks for the info! I never thought about wheel well access! Will check socket size and get ready!

 

you may have to take a plastic cover off but, yeah the crankshaft is down below the body. thats what happened to mine was the bushings in the housing wore out.
so i just replaced the whole thing. now mind you they make 2 different versions of that sensor. and otc makes a synchronizing tool. otc #6472 thats for the 2 peice version.
if you need anything else just ask..

 

Here is my problem. 2000 Ranger 3.0 Runs like crap, rough idle, not enough power to get out of it's own way. New plugs, wires, compresson 110 lbs all cyls. Synchronizer assembly installed using tool. Assy inserted at 75 degs and when it is bottomed out it sits around 40 degs. No codes at all!!!!! New head gaskets, new intake gaskets. Problem started after I found #5 cyl had no compression, found bad head valve seat worn out. Now with new head installed I have this problem. If the synchronizer assembly was installed wrong would this be my problem? Engine was definitly on TDC at zero degs. What am I doing wrong????????????